- Women sue Epstein’s estate, saying their photos were found in his vast child porn collection
Source: NBC News
“Two women filed a federal lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, claiming their photographs were found in his vast collection of child pornography. Identified in court papers only as Jane Doe and Amy, the women allege that ‘few if any’ of those whose photos were in Epstein’s collection were informed that these photographs are in the hands of federal investigators. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, seeks class-action status and is asking for unspecified damages and requesting the court to ‘design and supervise a single, coordinated program for identifying and notifying’ the other women whose ‘unlawful sexualized images’ were part of Epstein’s collection.” (09/16/26)
- US House flees DC in terror to avoid voting on Hegseth impeachment resolution
Source: The Hill
“House GOP leaders have cut short the final legislative week before the midterm elections, announcing that lawmakers will leave Washington after Wednesday’s votes. … The move not only allows lawmakers to head home early for the campaign trail, it also means that lawmakers will not be forced to take a vote on impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the elections. Sponsored by Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.), the impeachment resolution was introduced on Tuesday as a privileged motion, setting a 48-hour clock for it to hit the floor. … The next time the House will be back in session after Wednesday will be Nov. 9, following the midterm elections.” (09/16/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6093014-house-gop-leave-midterms
- Eighteen injured in Ukraine, Russian refinery struck
Source: Cyprus Mail [Cyprus]
“Russian air strikes injured 18 people across Ukraine while a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery deep inside Russia early on Thursday, as both sides continued strikes despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an energy truce. Twelve people, including two children, were wounded in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv …. In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, a child was among three people injured …. Three others were wounded in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, where a missile strike also caused a fire at an industrial facility. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, causing a fire that was later extinguished, regional Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said.” (09/17/26)
https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/09/17/russia-strikes-ukraine-as-kyiv-hits-russian-oil-refinery
- Fed hikes interest rates for first time since 2023
Source: Fox Business
“The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in over three years amid concerns over stubborn inflation that has been driven recently by higher energy prices. Fed policymakers voted 12-0 to raise the federal funds rate from a range of 3.5% to 3.75% to a new target rate of 3.75% to 4%. The 25-basis-point increase marks the first interest rate hike since July 2023 and comes after the Fed left rates unchanged at its first five meetings this year.” (09/16/26)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/federal-reserve-interest-rate-decision-september-16-2026
- Belarus: Regime frees 25 prisoners in exchange for US regime lifting some sanctions
Source: ABC News
“The U.S. special envoy for Belarus said Wednesday that the country’s authorities have agreed to release 25 prisoners as part of a deal that includes the lifting of U.S. sanctions against some Belarusian companies. John Coale, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, made the statement a day after meeting Belarus'[s] authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who pushed for the remaining U.S. sanctions against his country to be lifted. … Since Trump returned to the White House for his second term, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions.” (09/16/26)
- US regime opts not to back Saudi Arabia in Yemen after meeting Houthi leaders
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Officials from the US met Houthi leaders over the weekend at the country’s embassy in Muscat, Oman, it has been confirmed, leading to the US decision not to intervene to help Saudi Arabia drive back a Houthi advance inside Yemen. The Iran-backed militant group reassured the US that the ceasefire agreement between the two sides struck in 2025 still held and the movement had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea. Only Saudi-linked shipping was regarded as a target owing to its blockade of Yemen, the Houthis confirmed. … In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of large swathes of western Yemen along the Red Sea coast.” (09/16/26)
- Libertarian National Committee chooses new New Hampshire affiliate
Source: Independent Political Report
“The Libertarian National Committee has voted to recognize the Granite State Libertarian Party as its new affiliate in New Hampshire, selecting the organization over a competing group also seeking recognition under the name of the previous state affiliate. … the LNC voted in May to disaffiliate the previous Libertarian Party of New Hampshire over its support of Republican Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election and claims that it promoted ‘anti-libertarian positions.’ The national party’s Judicial Committee later upheld that decision in a unanimous vote.” (09/16/26)
- The Hague: Former Kosovo president Thaçi convicted of war crimes
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
‘A Kosovo war crimes tribunal on Wednesday found former President Hashim Thaci guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia. Thaci, a former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention. He was tried along with three other former KLA guerrilla leaders in The Hague. The tribunal said Thaci was guilty of the murder of of 96 political opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces at the hands of the KLA during the conflict. He was also convicted for the illegal detention of 385 people and torturing more than 300 people.” (09/16/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/kosovo-ex-president-thaci-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes/a-79286344
- Charlie Kirk’s family signals intent to file frivolous lawsuit against Utah Valley University
Source: Yahoo! News
“The family of Charlie Kirk alleges in a newly obtained notice of claim that a ‘series of stunning failures and reckless decisions’ by Utah Valley University led to the conservative activist’s on-campus assassination last year. … The notice, which preserves the family’s statute of limitations so that they can bring a lawsuit over Kirk’s death, cited high-profile incidents as recent examples of political violence …. The notice alleges that the university failed to conduct a “meaningful risk assessment” before approving the outdoor location and did not dedicate enough security resources.” (09/16/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/kirks-family-signals-intent-sue-101900823.html
- UK: Regime to make “doxxing” a criminal offense
Source: Politico
“The U.K. government plans to update the Online Safety Act to clamp down on so-called ‘doxxing’— publicly sharing private or personal information about a person online without their consent — following the harassment of volunteers at a charity which helps people at sea, Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy said. ‘We’re certainly going to be tightening up the law to make sure that where people’s addresses are being published online, that is an offense, and action has to be taken swiftly,’ Nandy said on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday.” (09/16/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-to-make-doxxing-a-criminal-offense/
- House nears vote on Russia sanctions bill named after late Sen. Lindsey Graham
Source: SFGate
“The House will vote Wednesday on a broad package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy as lawmakers look to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to wage the war against Ukraine. The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year working on it. If the House passes the bill, it would go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and would break nearly two years of relative gridlock on the issue following a 2024 emergency aid package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill’s passage and made a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month.” (09/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/house-nears-vote-on-russia-sanctions-bill-named-22434934.php
- Centenarians living in Japan exceed 100,000 for the first time
Source: Seattle Times
“The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country’s rapidly aging and declining population. The Health and Welfare Ministry statistics released Tuesday show Japan now has 107,677 centenarians, up 7,914 from the previous year and exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. Nearly 88% of them are women.” (09/16/26)
- EU opens door to unprecedented ‘associate member’ status for Canada amid US trade spat
Source: Fox Business
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to become the European Union’s first ‘associate member,’ a significant step that could bring Ottawa substantially closer to the bloc as its trade dispute with the U.S. shows no signs of abating. Speaking in Strasbourg during her annual State of the European Union address, von der Leyen addressed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in the chamber, and called for a major expansion of economic, technological and security cooperation between Canada and the EU. … Earlier this week, Carney — who is scheduled to address the European Parliament on Thursday — said Canada was seeking a ‘unique alliance’ with the EU, but not membership.” (09/16/260
- Congo: Police attack protesters with chemical weapons
Source: ABC News
“Police in Congo fired tear gas Tuesday to disperse hundreds of people demonstrating against constitutional changes they said could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in office. The opposition coalition C64 organized demonstrations in the capital, Kinshasa, and several other cities, including Lubumbashi and Kindu in eastern Congo, despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed due to the fast-spreading Ebola outbreak. The protest in Kinshasa drew hundreds of people and began peacefully, but was dispersed by police with tear gas and warning shots after protesters clashed with pro-government supporters.” (09/15/26)
- US businessman Adam Castillo deported from Myanmar after months in jail, state media says
Source: Associated Press
“Myanmar’s military-backed government has deported Adam Castillo, a U.S. businessman and former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, after three months in jail on what supporters say were trumped-up charges, state media reported Wednesday. State-run MRTV television said Castillo was flown out of the capital, Naypyitaw, earlier in the day, ‘in consideration of the friendly relations between Myanmar and the United States.’ The report said he had been charged with breach of trust over allegations he had violated the regulations of AmCham Myanmar. It did not say whether he had ever been brought to trial, or whether the charges had been dismissed. … Castillo, 40, was released into the custody of U.S. officials in Myanmar then flown to Bangkok, Thailand, and will soon return home to the U.S.” (09/16/26)
- Remaining supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran tour amid backlash over Macklemore ousting
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“Hours after singer Ed Sheeran addressed the backlash over rapper Macklemore being ousted from his tour for pro-Palestinian comments onstage, his remaining supporting acts have all quit Sheeran’s tour. … After he put Macklemore’s removal solely on venues and promoters, supporting acts Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Finneas announced that they were withdrawing from Sheeran’s tour to stand in solidarity with Palestinians — meaning the tour now has no openers. Sheeran said upcoming venues contacted him after his shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month, saying they would pull his performances if Macklemore, 43, was not removed as his opening act, because of ‘how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance,’ the singer said.” (09/15/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/sheeran-macklemore-tour-9.7345034
- Jimmy Lai’s son pleads in Washington for his father’s release ahead of Xi’s US visit
Source: SFGate
“The son of imprisoned former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai appealed for his father’s release at a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday, one week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S. Sebastien Lai urged his father’s release on humanitarian grounds at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. A Hong Kong court sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison in February following his conviction under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Lai’s daughter, Claire, did not appear at the hearing after being diagnosed with cancer. Her brother said she began chemotherapy in London last week. ‘Let Jimmy Lai come home to his family and let him sit beside his daughter in her hardest moment,’ he said, describing his father as ‘a 78-year-old man who has already suffered enough.'” (09/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/jimmy-lai-s-son-pleads-in-washington-for-his-22434860.php
- Trump regime approves $2.8 billion arms gift to genocidal Middle East regime
Source: NBC News
“The Trump administration plans to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal, weapons that prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing — in which U.S. taxpayer dollars are given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States.” (09/15/26)
- Dog bites man: Republicans accuse Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue of fraudulent donation “cover-up”
Source: Fox News
“A Democrat fundraising giant used by the biggest players on the left is being accused of covering up the acceptance of fraudulent political donations and lying to Congress about its security standards. Congressional Republicans are providing an update on their investigation of ActBlue — a platform for campaigns to raise money that’s used by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, among others — that alleges the company potentially accepted foreign contributions and concealed the evidence from the GOP’s probe. ActBlue has previously denied any wrongdoing.” (09/16/26)
- South Korea: Court orders North Korean regime to pay $32.5 million for blowing up office
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A court in Seoul has ordered Pyongyang to pay roughly $32.5m for blowing up an office in North Korea in 2020 that was intended to foster better relations between the two neighbours. ‘The court has ruled the North should pay the South Korean government 44.6 billion won in damages,’ a spokeswoman for the Seoul Central District Court told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. The lawsuit over the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office marks the first time the South Korean government has sought damages directly from the North Korean state, media reports said.” (09/16/26)
- Trump’s Trade War with Canada Will Make America Backward Again
Source: The UnPopulist
by Bob Rae“His actions will diminish US prosperity and security while Canada joins other powers in a new rules-based order.” (09/16/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trumps-trade-war-with-canada-will
- JD Vance’s Economic Agenda Is Just Socialism Wrapped in a Nationalist Flag
Source: Cato Institute
by Norbert J Michel“There are few sadder images than the abandoned steel towns of America’s formerly vibrant Rust Belt, and the all-too-true trope of a once-successful miner resorting to driving for Uber. We know this is a powerful motivator and is a reason for President Donald Trump’s rise. And who better to talk about this than [JD] Vance, who emerged from dire circumstances against all odds, who knows firsthand the afflictions faced by the working poor as prices on just about everything continue to rise? Except that if you listen closely, bitter irony overflows from Vance’s populist crusade: To save the working class, he wants to adopt the exact big-government policies that broke the economy in the first place.” (09/16/26)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/jd-vances-economic-agenda-just-socialism-wrapped-nationalist-flag
- Authoritarian government weakest of all
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal“Why do so many beg for a big, authoritarian government involving itself in every facet of their lives? Even when it violently destroys their liberty and violates their rights every day? What could possibly be going on in their minds to make this seem like a good thing? Have these people not seen the results of this over at least the past 25 years? Has a bigger, more authoritarian government made life better or worse? It appears that many people see authoritarianism as strength. I don’t. I see it as weakness, relying on bullying tactics to make itself look strong to gullible observers. If the authoritarians were actually strong, they wouldn’t need to be authoritarian.” (09/16/26)
- The Hidden $13k Tax: Did the Government Make You Buy a Car?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Laura Williams“Postwar subsidies paid American cities to bulldoze walkable live-work centers. Now average folk pay $13,000/year to own cars, and ‘walkable communities’ became a profitable luxury.” (09/16/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-hidden-13k-tax-did-the-government-make-you-buy-a-car/
- Trump and the Falkland Islands: A Message to NATO?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter“President Donald Trump may have discovered a new opportunity to provoke a NATO ally. Last year, the White House created a brouhaha with Denmark (and other European countries) by insisting that Copenhagen sell Greenland to the United States. This time, Washington’s agitation involves a chain of islands off the east coast of Argentina that Great Britain claims and administers. Those islands, called the Falklands by Britain and most other countries, but claimed and referred to as the Malvinas by Argentina, has been a major source of contention before. London has had a presence in the Falklands since 1699, fending off rival claims over the decades by other European colonial powers as well as Argentina. On August 31, 2026, Trump stated that he was reviewing Washington’s official position regarding the islands.” (09/16/26)
- All Those Metrics Bleed Your Obsessions
Source: Aaron Ross Powell
by Aaron Ross Powell“So much of being online is constructing and performing identity. You present yourself as something to people listening to, reading, or watching what you choose to put online, and that “something” isn’t who you really are. … This sounds grim: You’re just a brand you’ve constructed. My Marxist friends would say it’s another example of the late capitalism draining us of humanity. But let me push back. Because there’s something amazing and optimistic and encouraging about this. Online, you get to be who you want, or who you can figure out how to present. And you can be that thing consistently. You can, in other words, go all-in on your obsessions. … Except. The other thing about the online world, as it is now in its major structures, even if not as it always used to be, is that there are metrics. And metrics interfere with, smooth out, and dissipate obsessions.” (09/16/26)
- Despite polarization, Americans still prize political compromise
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“In the run-up to November’s midterm elections, potshots at opponents have been coming fast and hard in advertisements and social media, while legislating on Capitol Hill has slowed to a crawl. But state capitals and city halls across the United States offer encouraging examples of what the nonpartisan Future Caucus calls ‘constructive, collaborative governance’. This ‘get it done’ attitude is particularly evident among younger generations of elected officials, according to the organization’s head, Layla Zaidane. And that’s what offers hope for upcoming legislative cycles, she wrote Tuesday in Governing, a digital publication. Future Caucus supports and mentors more than 2,000 young lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, ranging from liberal to centrist to conservative. Together, they take part in workshops, field visits, and online connections. And together, they hone skills in negotiation and compromise across party lines, while deepening their understanding of each other as well as bread-and-butter public issues.” (09/15/26)
- More Than 10,000 Bills—Only 32 Provided a Cost Estimate
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lilly Rossi“Out of nearly 6,900 bills in Illinois that proposed changes to laws, programs, projects and personnel, lawmakers provided the estimated cost to taxpayers of a mere 32—fewer than half of 1%. Only those 32 bills in the 104th General Assembly came with ‘fiscal notes,’ which estimate the financial effects of proposed legislation, giving lawmakers and taxpayers information about its potential cost. While such estimates are required in many other states, Illinois law allows a bill’s sponsor to determine whether it needs a fiscal note. If the sponsor decides it does not, a lawmaker who disagrees must gain the support of a majority of members to require a fiscal note.” (09/16/26)
https://fee.org/articles/more-than-10000-bills-only-32-provided-a-cost-estimate/
- To Be a Rock and Not to Roll
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“Call him ‘The Rock.’ That’s what John Kennedy, Louisiana’s wittiest U.S. senator, dubbed Mitch McConnell, yesterday. Why? From the Wall Street Journal’s write-up, it must be the Kentucky’s senator’s fortitude and resilience that qualify him as hard and stony. The 84-year-old lame duck solon was rolled into the Capitol after a three-month absence, and it appears that everyone was nice to the wheelchair-bound octogenarian. … McConnell should step … roll … aside. Let someone else do the job. But, as it is, he serves as a stark reminder of the gerontocracy.” (09/16/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/09/16/2be-a-rock-and-not2roll/
- Debunking The Claim That Macklemore Has A “History Of Antisemitism”
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“As American rapper Macklemore becomes a frontline for renewed mainstream discourse about Israeli atrocities in Gaza, Israel apologists have been falling all over themselves to circulate the demonstrably false narrative that the artist has a history of antisemitic behavior. Zionist billionaire Robert Kraft defended his intervention to remove Macklemore from the Ed Sheeran tour for saying ‘Free Palestine’ onstage, falsely claiming in a statement that the artist has a ‘history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.’ The Anti-Defamation League falsely claimed that Macklemore’s onstage pro-Palestine rhetoric is colored by the artist’s ‘record of demonizing Israel and Israelis, falsely accusing Israel of genocide and engaging in antisemitic rhetoric and behavior.'” (09/16/26)
- Trump’s $5,000 ‘Dividends’ Are a Brazen Vote-Buying Scheme
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille“Behind the battles over ideas and policy proposals, at its core, democratic politics is about buying votes. Sometimes, vote-buying is overtly a cash for ballots arrangement. But in the United States, votes have more often been purchased with the promise of ‘free’ goods and services, paid for through taxes or, increasingly, by running up debt, and justified by empty verbiage about the public good that the scheme will allegedly promote. That makes President Donald Trump’s promise of $5,000 ‘dividend’ payments to Americans if his party wins the midterms a jarring return to the open corruption of the politics of the past—or of other country’s present experiences.” (09/16/26)
https://reason.com/2026/09/16/trumps-5000-dividends-are-a-brazen-vote-buying-scheme/
- Common sense is alive in America; we just need to listen
Source: Fox News
by Trace Gallagher“During the first-ever Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas last week, there was a lot of talk about ‘the common sense revolution’. It was familiar territory to me because every night on my evening newscast, ‘Fox News @ Night’, we join the common sense revolution — you could say we started the common sense revolution more than four years ago. We like to call it ‘The Fox News @ Night Common Sense Department.’ Common sense gives us a chance to take a deeper and sometimes snarkier take on one of the day’s big topics. The goal of the Common Sense Department is not to accuse Americans of not having common sense, but to remind Americans that we share a great deal of common sense. And when somebody or some group steps outside the boundaries of what we consider societal norms, we love to point out exactly why those boundaries exist.” (09/16/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trace-gallagher-common-sense-alive-america-listen
- Food Labeling Should Not Be This Hard
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Daniel Nuccio“Knowing what’s in your food or whether what you’re about to eat comports with a medically prescribed diet can be difficult. There’s no reason why the government should make it harder. But that’s exactly what the United States Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration are doing when they prohibit companies from conveying information about FODMAP content on food labels. Although not inherently harmful to most people, FODMAPs are a broad category of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols believed to trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in individuals living with irritable bowel syndrome and possibly several other functional gastrointestinal disorders. … as one US company learned, even if one of the world’s leading FODMAP research facilities tells you your food is low in FODMAPs, this isn’t exactly the kind of thing you can just put on a label in the United States.” (09/16/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/food-labeling-should-not-be-this-hard/
- Gloria Steinem Never Lost Hope Or Purpose; Neither Can We
Source: Common Dreams
by Pamela Shifman“‘How can I be of service?’ That was the phone message Gloria Steinem kept leaving at the office of the African National Congress Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in Cape Town, South Africa in 1997. I had arrived in the country a year earlier, working as a young staffer for some of the first women elected to lead South Africa’s new democracy. When they asked if I wanted to call that American woman back, I jumped at the chance. Soon Gloria was on her way to Cape Town, and I was assigned to pick her up at the airport. As this global icon (something she hated to be called) stepped into my rusted car, the first thing I remember is asking her to keep her head near the window as exhaust crept in through a hole in the floor. (She didn’t flinch.)” (09/16/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/gloria-steinem-hope-a-holic
- Is Tribalism the Worst Idea in History?
Source: Mindset Shifts
by Barry Brownstein“Holly [Mathnerd] warns that social media magnifies tribal hatred. Having written many essays on the horrors of tribalism, I think she is spot on. We can go further. We won’t get to the roots of tribal hatred if we don’t assess cause and effect. Our inner decision to cherish our tribal beast creates the demand to express our hatred on social media. No matter what political or social side we are on, Holly’s observation applies: ‘You cannot defend the individual by changing which collective gets put in the defendant’s chair.'” (09/16/26)
https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/p/is-tribalism-the-worst-idea-in-history
- Put It in Your Own Backyard
Source: Law & Liberty
by Jeffrey Polet“NIMBYism is more than retrograde reaction—it is a democratic practice.” (09/16/26)
- Trump’s govt makes ‘treasonous’ claim of weapons shortages
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ben Freeman“In the last two days, a pair of government reports confirmed what many outside analysts have claimed: the Iran war has been extraordinarily costly for the U.S. military and for the American public. … arlier this month, Trump claimed on Truth Social that the military has ‘virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition.’ He called those who reported there were shortfalls ‘treasonous.'” (09/16/26)
- Paul Introduces Birthright Citizenship Amendment
Source: Jonathan Turley Blog
by Jonathan Turley“Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Constitution Day event at James Madison University about ‘Rage and the Republic’. and various constitutional issues. During the event, organized by the James Madison Center on Civic Engagement, one student asked me what I would change about the U.S. Constitution. I said that I would amend the Constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship, as have other nations who once followed this ill-considered practice. Well, Sen. Rand Paul (R., Kentucky) has wasted no time. He just reintroduced his bill to ban birthright citizenship. I have previously written about the possible need for such an amendment after the decision in Trump v. Barbara. With that decision, the matter now rests not with the court but with the country.” (09/16/26)
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/09/16/sen-paul-introduces-birthright-citizenship-amendment/
- Congress has a chance to help Americans defend their rights. It should take it.
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Greg Gonzalez“Last week, Rep. Glenn Grothman introduced H.R. 10335, the Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026. The bill would make it easier for Americans who successfully vindicate their civil rights in court to recover the cost of doing so. The bill is scheduled for a committee vote today, and FIRE is urging lawmakers to support it. … litigation is expensive. In America, each side generally pays its own attorney’s fees, regardless of who wins. This creates a problem: people who cannot afford substantial legal fees are less able to find attorneys to represent them. This is especially true in civil rights cases, where the purpose of the lawsuit is often to stop unlawful actions by the government rather than to win large monetary judgments.” (09/16/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/congress-has-chance-help-americans-defend-their-rights-it-should-take-it
- The real reason people are mad at Sydney Sweeney’s new ad
Source: USA Today
by Ingrid Jacques“Sydney Sweeney’s new ad for sports betting app Novig has sparked backlash from athletes and critics alike. But the real issue isn’t the ad – it’s that she’s a registered Republican.” (09/16/26)
- Shouldn’t Every Race Be Close?
Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman“Is the median voter theorem alive and well and living in the 2026 Senate contests?” (09/16/26)
- As Walls Close In, Zelensky Lashes Out
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day“Welcome to the barfing-in-the-neighbors’-bushes hangover of Ukraine’s ‘turning the tide’ exuberance this summer. Actually, the exuberance phase was short-lived, so we’ve been feeling the crapulence since at least mid-July, when President Volodymyr Zelensky axed the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Days later, he fired Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and, one day after that, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Andrii Hnatov. Wartime presidents don’t strike down their top military leaders when battlefield developments are coming up roses. … This Sunday, Zelensky slapped sanctions on his own former press secretary, Iulia Mendel, who has become one of his fiercest and most prominent critics. According to a presidential decree, Mendel spreads ‘Russian propaganda’ …. Not only will she face economic restrictions like asset freezes, but internet users within Ukraine will be blocked from accessing her social media accounts.” (09/16/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/as-walls-close-in-zelensky-lashes-out/
- Mill’s Liberalism Revisited
Source: Law & Liberty
by Max Skjönsberg“Gregory Conti sheds new light on John Stuart Mill’s political life, constitutional writings, and distinctive liberalism.” (09/16/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/mills-liberalism-revisited/
- Republicans Ditch ‘Free Markets’ For ‘Free Money’
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Nolan Denaro“How could it be, then, that the same party touting its credibility in the fight against big-government economic planning is also led by a president who is offering every American adult a free $5,000? Is this not an example of the very economic interventionism Republicans claim to oppose? This creates a clear bind for the Republicans. Are they for ‘free markets’ or ‘free handouts?'” (09/16/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/republicans-ditch-free-markets-for-free-money
- The Hidden Divide That Shapes Our Politics
Source: The American Prospect
by Chris Murphy“In my recent book, Crisis of the Common Good, I make the argument that our hyper-individualistic, market-obsessed culture has made us more isolated and less powerful. I think Donald Trump is a symptom of this spiritual unspooling. My book argues that happiness comes from a sense of connection and shared purpose with others, and that government should not outsource virtue or morality to private markets. I do not suggest the public sector should dictate one single version of ‘the good life’. I suggest it should instead seek, as an agent of the public will, to order our economy in a way that gives power and dignity to every actor in it, and our culture in a way that encourages communion and shared experience. The Argument’s Jerusalem Demsas, in her critique ‘No, Senator Murphy, I don’t want to join your cult,’ argues confidently for more or less a maintenance of the status quo.” (09/16/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/09/16/hidden-divide-that-shapes-our-politics/
- Why Trump really promised you $5,000
Source: Washington Post
by Theodore R Johnson“If the last 18 months are any guide, President Donald Trump is not going to send you $5,000. At last week’s two-night midterm convention in Dallas, he promised every adult citizen a ‘Trump dividend’ should Republicans win both houses of Congress in November. It pushes his running tab of unpaid cash pledges past $13,000 per person. On the first night, he described the payout as a profit-sharing distribution: ‘because our country is making so much money.’ During the second night, Trump morphed it into reparations for surviving Joe Biden’s presidency: ‘We went through hell.’ … Given Trump’s track record of broken promises, the offer itself is the point, not the payout — and it’s aimed squarely at his base. Rather than a proposal meant to persuade midterm swing voters or flip those who lean Democratic, the ‘Trump dividend’ mostly serves as a turnout incentive, gladly offering a payday for a vote on Election Tuesday.” (09/16/26)
- Nuclear Arms and the New Free World
Source: Liberal Currents
by Georgiy Kistiakowsky“The free world no longer has the luxury of regarding nuclear deterrence like a snow globe on a shelf.” (09/16/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/nuclear-arms-and-the-new-free-world/
- What kind of Politics is Consistent with Consent of the Governed?
Source: Freedom and Flourishing
by Winton Bates“I understand that the American revolutionaries saw election of representatives as the primary vehicle for consent. That view of consent appears to have much in common with the concept of ‘government legitimacy’ as described by modern political scientists who focus on procedural rules such as the existence of free and fair elections. It also appears to have a lot in common with the concept of ‘tacit consent’ as described by John Locke …. [Max] Borders argues that consent of the governed means ‘a real, contractual civil association that a sovereign person selects in a governance market’. I will outline his ideal model of consent after considering the case he makes that we should be concerned about consent.” (09/16/26)
https://www.freedomandflourishing.com/2026/09/what-kind-of-politics-is-consistent.html
- Suffolk Resolves: The Revolution’s Blueprint for Beating an Empire
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin“September 16, 1774: Paul Revere galloped into Philadelphia with urgent business from Boston, a document that laid out a blueprint for total resistance. If the Continental Congress adopted it, secession from the British Empire would be unavoidable. The very next day, after a round of wild applause, they did just that. This is the story of Joseph Warren’s forgotten and ignored Suffolk Resolves, the American Revolution’s step-by-step guide for beating an empire and defeating tyranny.” (09/15/26)
- No USPS Rule in the 2026 Midterm
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“For now, then, the administration’s effort to impose these requirements on ballot mail before November is effectively dead. The larger legal fight isn’t, and Kavanaugh’s concurrence is a pretty clear warning against treating Monday’s decision as a final Supreme Court judgment on the USPS’s authority. There will be plenty of time to litigate whether Congress actually gave the USPS the power it claims. What the administration doesn’t get to do is impose the rule first, potentially disrupt an election, and ask everyone to sort out whether it was legal after the ballots have been counted.” (09/15/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/no-usps-rule-in-the-2026-midterm
- Dario Amodei’s Brain Trust of Bad Ideas
Source: American Greatness
by Jordan Schachtel“Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei wants to shape the future of artificial intelligence—and, by extension, the future of civilization. Yet in doing so, he seeks input and advice from an ideologically uniform group of individuals and institutions. In a series of sprawling essays on his website, Amodei has outlined his expectations for a world transformed by powerful AI. His forecasts range from curing diseases and accelerating economic growth to creating catastrophic biological threats and destabilizing the balance of power between the United States and China. These essays are presented as the work of a sober-minded technologist trying to navigate humanity through an unprecedented transition. In the acknowledgments section, Amodei inadvertently reveals insight into the ideas forming his worldview.” (09/16/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/09/16/dario-amodeis-brain-trust-of-bad-ideas/
- Constitution Day and the Role of Lawyers Every Single Day
Source: Checks & Balances
by Mary Smith“In 2023, as I was preparing for my term as American Bar Association (ABA) President, I thought about what issue should be the focus of my term as president. Recognizing that while the ABA had a long history of focusing on the most important legal issues, it was important to focus not solely on a legal issue but the most critical issue of our time. I kept coming back to the single most important issue facing our country today: threats to democracy.” (09/15/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/constitution-day-and-the-role-of
- The AI “Threat” is Replacing Covid and “Global Warming”
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ryan McMaken“[L]ast Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, in an article titled ‘We Must Pace the Frontier,’ called for extensive government regulation of AI firms. Amodei insisted that, unless governments step in to control the AI industry, then there will be insufficient ‘guardrails’ to prevent ‘losing control of AI systems, misuse of AI for cyberattacks and bioterrorism, and serious economic disruption.’ … whenever we see a group of politically active billionaires agree that government should have more power, we should be alarmed, to say the least.” (09/15/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/ai-threat-replacing-covid-and-global-warming
- The Protect College Sports Act Shows How Much the GOP Doesn’t Care About Limited Government Anymore
Source: Reason
by Jason Russell“Democrats backing a big-government bill that decides how college sports ought to be run is largely unsurprising. But Republicans backing the bill show that the GOP has little to no semblance of a party that’s interested in limiting the size and scope of government anymore. The backers of the bill believe politicians, not the NCAA, should decide how many transfers are allowed. They think politicians, not conferences, should set a compensation cap on how much schools can pay athletes. They think politicians, not athletes and businesses, should get to decide what is a legitimate private contract. They think politicians, not the colleges, should decide how many schools are in the Big Ten and SEC. … They even think politicians, not the NFL or broadcasters, should get to decide when professional football games are on TV.” (09/15/26)
- Violence is now a gendered issue
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Chapin Lenthall-Cleary“Acceptance of violence against speakers used to be a liberal thing. No longer.” (09/15/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/violence-is-now-a-gendered-issue
- TAC Right Now, 09/16/26
Source: The American Conservative
“Curt Mills, Andrew Day, and Luke Nicastro discuss growing concerns about AI and whether the regulation cure would be worse than the AI-risk disease. Then, they discuss the Iran War’s impact on inflation and the political implications heading into the midterms.” (09/16/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/tac-right-now-the-rights-fight-over-ai/
- Kelley Vlahos on Liberty Pub Live
Source: Liberty Pub Live
“Kelley Vlahos joins Matt Kibbe LIVE at PubKey DC for an unfiltered conversation.” (09/16/26)
- Reason Interview: Peter Gray
Source: Reason
“Psychologist Peter Gray discusses why kids need more unstructured play, how schools are fueling childhood anxiety, and why smartphones aren’t to blame.” (09/16/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/09/16/why-kids-need-more-freedom/
- Reasonably Optimistic, 09/16/26
Source: Washington Post
“Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than many expected. So much so that some of the experts who understand it best are sounding the alarm. Are their warnings exaggerated, or are we approaching a point of no return? And what can we do now to shape the future of artificial intelligence? Host Megan McArdle is joined by Tim Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, to explore what AI experts fear most, from misinformation and economic disruption to the possibility of losing control of increasingly powerful systems.” (09/16/26)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/impromptu/what-ai-experts-fear-most
- Homeschool Workshop, 09/16/26
Source: Homeschool Workshop
“We Built Stilts With My 9-Year-Old (Perfect First Project).” (09/16/26)
https://rumble.com/v7fkri0-we-built-stilts-with-my-9-year-old-perfect-first-project.html
- The Daily, 09/16/26
Source: New York Times
“48 Days Until the Midterms: Is a Blue Wave Coming?” (09/16/26)
- The Fifth Column, episode 575
Source: The Fifth Column
“AI Might Kill Us. Here’s Why It Matters: w/ Jim VandeHei.” (09/16/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/ai-might-kill-us-heres-why-it-matters
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 09/16/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Smackdown! Massie Files Impeachment Charges On Hegseth!” (09/16/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 09/16/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Rages Openly at Midterm Woes as His Worst Poll Yet Lands Hard.” (09/16/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/215473/trump-rages-openly-midterm-woes-worst-poll-yet-lands-hard
- Rising, 09/16/26
Source: The Hill
“Niall Stanage gives his notes on President Trump continuing to push for adding his name to the Kennedy Center.” (09/16/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/6083815-rising-september-16-2026/
- Parallax Views w/ JG Michael, 09/16/26
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“The Empire of Lies: Deep State, Endless War & the Cost of Empire w/ Charles Goyette.” (09/16/26)
- The Headlines, 09/16/26
Source: New York Times
“Fuel Riots Spread Around the World, and Trump Approves $2.8 Billion Arms Sale to Israel.” (09/16/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/15/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Massie Launches Effort To Impeach Hegseth, Trump To Give Israel Massive Bomb Shipment, and More.” (09/15/26)
- Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 09/16/26
Source: Politico
“A turning point on AI.” (09/16/26)
- Free Speech Unmuted, 09/15/26
Source: Hoover Institution
“Spoiler Alert: Can You Get Sued For Revealing A Plot Point? | Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer.” (09/15/26)
- Politics Politics Politics, 09/15/26
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“Ohio Governor Ads Get Spicy! Crypto, Congress, and Campaigning for President (with Tim Ryan).” (09/15/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/ohio-governor-ads-get-spicy-crypto
- Capital Record, episode 322
Source: National Review
“AI Is Slowing Down to Find Itself.” (09/15/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/ai-is-slowing-down-to-find-itself/
- Trump Watch, 09/15/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Trump’s Free $5,000 Dividend.” (09/15/26)
- Law & Liberty Podcast, 09/15/26
Source: Law & Liberty
“The Fourteenth Amendment is at the heart of many of the most controversial issues that will land before the Supreme Court today. In his new book, David Upham argues that many of the legal theories about it are not deeply rooted enough in the history or text of the amendment itself.” (09/15/26)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/the-official-fourteenth-amendment/
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 09/15/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“With all the bad news swirling around us, it’s easy to forget what an amazing world we live in. Paul Rosenberg’s gentle reminder not to discount the future, is a message many of us sorely need to hear.” (09/15/26)